Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin celebrates his goal in the first period during a game against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center in Anaheim on Sunday, February 17, 2019. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)

Anaheim Ducks center Derek Grant, right, and Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny fight for a position during a game at Honda Center in Anaheim on Sunday, February 17, 2019. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)

Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf shoots during a game against the Washington Capitals at Honda Center in Anaheim on Sunday, February 17, 2019. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)

Anaheim Ducks center Derek Grant, left, controls the puck under pressure as Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny defends him during a game at Honda Center in Anaheim on Sunday, February 17, 2019. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)

A patch of the banner of retired number of former Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer is on defenseman Cam Fowler’s jersey during a game against Washington Capitals at Honda Center in Anaheim on Sunday, February 17, 2019. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm, left, and Washington Capitals left wing Andre Burakovsky battle for the puck during a game at Honda Center in Anaheim on Sunday, February 17, 2019. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)

Anaheim Ducks right wing Corey Perry, top, holds Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson to the ice after Wilson commits goalie interference during a game at Honda Center in Anaheim on Sunday, February 17, 2019. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)

ANAHEIM — The Ducks played a throwback game Sunday at Honda Center, and for once in a long time it wasn’t a game they wanted to throw back. They rose up and smacked down the Washington Capitals, seizing a 5-2 victory from the Stanley Cup champions.

Ryan Miller returned to the Ducks’ net for the first time since suffering a sprained knee in a victory Dec. 9 over the New Jersey Devils. He was supported by crisp passing and timely goals that propelled the Ducks to their second victory in three games.

Miller made 23 saves for his 375th career victory, breaking a tie with John Vanbiesbrouck for the most by a United States-born goaltender in hockey history. Miller’s last victory came in a relief appearance of John Gibson, when the Ducks rallied from a 5-1 deficit to beat the Capitals 6-5 on Dec. 2.

“A little delay in the season, but very satisfying to come off an injury and make a difference in the game,” Miller said. “It was pretty emotional for a couple of reasons. When you have a knee injury, you never know what’s going to happen. It took a lot longer than I hoped.

“I had a few clunky moments, but I worked through it, and it was a nice feeling to get the win.”

The Ducks scored not once but twice on the power play in the opening minutes of the third period. Adam Henrique poked a loose puck into the net 37 seconds into the final period and Corey Perry scored on a one-timed shot off a cross-ice pass from Cam Fowler at 3:40.

Henrique broke a 2-2 tie with his second goal of the game. Perry’s goal made it 4-2 and was his first in eight games since returning to the lineup from knee surgery in September. Fowler’s assist was the 205th of his career, breaking Scott Niedermayer’s franchise record for defensemen.

Fittingly, it came on the night the Ducks retired Niedermayer’s jersey.

“His legacy here will be something that no one will ever fill the shoes that he walked in around here,” Fowler said of Niedermayer. “For me, it’s a great accomplishment. I hope everything for him was fantastic because he’s well-respected and well-loved around here. I hope he had a great night.”

Jakob Silfverberg extended the Ducks’ lead to 5-2 with his second goal of the game.

The Capitals took a 1-0 lead with Alex Ovechkin’s league-leading 40th goal, one of his trademark lasers from the left faceoff circle moments after a power play expired, at 4:58 of the first period. Ovechkin stumbled over the left leg of Hampus Lindholm, drawing a dubious tripping penalty.

Miller appeared to be in position to stop the shot, but the puck slipped between the goalie’s right arm and his body and landed in the net. It was the only setback for the Ducks in an otherwise superb opening period in which they won battles great and small and outshot the Capitals 16-8.

Perhaps duly inspired by the presence of Niedermayer and members of the 2006-07 Stanley Cup championship team, including Teemu Selanne, J-S Giguere and Chris Pronger, the Ducks played with a renewed sense of urgency. They pushed back when pushed.

The Ducks played with an aggression that would have made the champs proud. They initiated contact rather than shying away from it. They controlled the puck and generated sustained pressure in front of Washington goalie Braden Holtby. They did everything but score in the first period.

Henrique and Silfverberg scored in the second period to give the Ducks a 2-1 lead, but John Carlson’s goal pulled the Capitals into a 2-2 deadlock entering the third period. Silfverberg’s goals were his team-leading 14th and 15th, which speaks to the Ducks’ scoring woes this season.

Elliott Teaford covers the Anaheim Ducks for the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. He covered the Ducks for 12 years, including the Stanley Cup season, for the Los Angeles Times and the Daily Breeze before returning to the beat in 2018 for SCNG. He also covered the Lakers for five seasons, including their back-to-back NBA championships in 2009 and '10. He once made a jump shot over future Utah Jazz center Mark Eaton during a pickup game in 1980 at Cypress College.